Friday, January 13, 2006

Sweden overall makes pretty good quality films for a country with only 9 million people in it. And it ain't easy being a Swedish director either, because one is always being compared to Bergman.

In Masjävlar, a young woman from Stockholm (which is considered a very big city in Sweden) travels back to her country hometown to celebrate her father's 70th birthday. Sounds boring, but it's not. It's very touching and interesting to anyone with an interest in Swedish culture.

The film is shot entirely in Delarna, the region in Sweden famous for the little red horses (wooden ones not real ones). This film dwells on very familiar territory for Sweden: cold weather, birthdays (big holidays in Sweden), suicides (everyone here knows at least one victim), and drinking too much (so I fit right in).

If anyone knows what the title means I would appreciate some help. Linda is in Malmo at the moment so I am without my translator. I think it means 'Dammit' or something.

2 comments:

Mas tends to be used as a term for anything involving Dalecarlian and is sometimes used as a slang term for the old men in the Dalarna region (the so called dalkarl). The other half of the word you got right - damn or bloody or goddamned would be a fit as well :)